Gary Kirsten: England job of interest to former India and South Africa coach if role is limited to Test cricket
England coach Chris Silverwood has come under extreme pressure after defeat to Australia in the Ashes, with the tourists 3-0 down in the series with two Tests to go; Kirsten has previously been linked with the England head coach's role
Friday 31 December 2021 07:30, UK
Former India and South Africa coach Gary Kirsten says he would be interested in coaching England's beleaguered Test side as long as the role does not involve coaching the white-ball teams as well.
Current England coach Chris Silverwood has come under extreme pressure after defeat to Australia in the Ashes, with the tourists in dire straits at 3-0 down in the series with two Tests to go.
Kirsten, a former South Africa opener, led both India and his home nation to the top of the Test rankings as coach and the 54-year-old said coaching England would be a "tremendous honour".
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"I've walked this journey twice now (when England recruited new coaches in 2015 and 2019) and I've always made it clear that I would never commit to doing all formats," Kirsten told i News.
"And when international cricket boards get their head around the fact that they need to split coaching roles, then it becomes a consideration."
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England won the 50-over World Cup on home soil in 2019 but the Test team has failed to fire and find themselves seventh in the World Test Championship table after series defeats to India (twice) and New Zealand earlier in the year.
"Listen, the England ODI side is set up, you're the best ODI side in the world at the moment. It's a project that has been well thought out, you've got consistency in the players that have been picked," Kirsten added.
"Your Test side has battled for a while but it would be a really lovely project to get that going."
Compton: Bring in Kirsten
Former England batter Nick Compton believes Kirsten would be the right person to replace Silverwood following England's humiliating Ashes defeat.
"I would make a change now," Compton told Sky Sports News. "I think Silverwood is a good man and did the best he can. Kirsten would be the right person. He understands top-level batting, he's been there in a consistent fashion."
Compton added: "Are (England managing director Ashley) Giles and Silverwood the problem? That's the big question. I don't think suddenly you come in and overhaul everything.
"It's about getting the right people into the right places. I don't think Giles has made the right appointments. I think Kirsten should have got the coaching job, someone who's more skilled, with experience of taking teams to No 1 in the world, who has won World Cups.
"With all due respect to Silverwood, he's given his absolute best, but he hasn't had the long-term experience of being a head coach.
"As well as giving him complete autonomy with the selection, it's a huge role to take on. The selection has been pretty abysmal in this series, it obviously hasn't worked. He could have stayed as the bowling coach, I think Kirsten would have been the right man to take on this role.
"I do think there's been wrong appointments. The guys beneath him, what are they actually doing?"
